Coin controlled vending machine



INVENTOR.

ATTORNE WALLACE E. DAVIS www we? V A B COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE March 31, 1970 Filed May 22. 1968 March 31, 1970 w. E. DAVIS 3,503,482

COIN CONTROL-LED VENDING MACHINE l Filed May 22 1968 4 Sheecs--Shefejl 2 I- 5 INVENTOR pig-3 BY ATTORNEY WALLACE E. DAVlS March 31, 1970 W,'E, DAVls 3,503,482

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1968, sheets-sheet :s

INVENTOR WALLACE E. DAVlS ATTORN March 31, 1970 w. E. DMS 3,503,482

v COIN GONTROLLED VENDING MACHIE Filed May 22 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

INVENTOR.

WALLACE E. DAVIS BY ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,503,482 COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Wallace E. Davis, 2318 Royal Oaks Drive, Alamo, Calif. 94507 Filed May 22, 1968, Ser. No. 731,157 Int. Cl. G07f 5/00 U.S. Cl. 194-54 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A coin controlled vending machine in which the knob for opening the vending machine door performs the additional function, 'when pushed inwardly, of returning the wrong coin or combination of coins to the purchaser that he has inadvertently inserted into the coin chute. The coin chute is formed of two parts, one stationary and the other swingably mounted. The depressing of the door-opening knob will not open the door, but instead will actuate an integral plunger with a cone-shaped end for swinging the pivoted coin chute part away from the stationary part for freeing the coins to permit them to drop into the coin return receptacle. A magnet holds the swingable coin chute part in closed position and the inward movement of the door knob must swing this part a sufficient distance to break the magnetic holding attraction and this distance is enough to free all of the coins in the chute.

BACKGROUND lOF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention lies in the vending machine art and more particularly the vending of newspapers. Coin operated mechanisms are used and the door to the newspaper compartment can only be opened after the proper coin or combination of coins has been inserted into the coin chute. lOne problem is to return the improper coin or combination of coins to the purchaser and another problem is to free the coin mechanism of any bent coin that might otherwise iam the machine and prevent it from working. Both of these problems have been solved by the present invention.

Description of the prior art The patent to Raymond M. Terry, No. 2,925,898, issued Feb. 23, 1960, is for a coin operated dispensing device that has two coin slots paralleling each other, one slot receiving coins of a certain denomination and the other receiving coins of a different denomination. The coins function as cams for freeing the door catch as the door is opened and permitting the door to be fully opened so that a newspaper can be removed. The present invention combines the two coin slots into a common single coin chute that can receive coins of different denominations.

The patent to Karl Knickerbocker, No. 3,174,608, issued Mar. 23, 1965, is for a coin controlled newspaper vending machine in which two parallel coin receiving chutes are used in the coin controlled mechanism. The same is true of another patent, No. 3,265,177, on a coin operated vending machine, issued to the same patentee on Aug. 9, 1966. The present invention differs from these two patents in combining the two coin chutes into one and in the provision of a door opening knob that serves the additional function of returning coins of the -wrong size when the knob is depressed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of my invention is to provide a single coin chute that is designed to receive one or more coins of a predetermined size and when the correct combination of coins is deposited in the coin chute, the lowermost coin in the combination acts as a cam for freeing the latch for 3,503,482 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 permitting the receptable door to be fully opened by the outward pulling on the door knob.

A further object of my invention is to provide a substantially vertical coin-receiving chute formed of two halves, a stationary half and a swingable half that is pivotally supported at its upper end. A magnet is carried by the swingable half and it is attracted to a magnetizable keeper, carried by the stationary half, for normally maintaining the two halves in cooperative relation to form the complete coin chute. When the wrong coins are deposited in the chute or should the chute become jammed lwith one or more coins, the door-opening knob can be manually depressed for actuating novel means for swinging the pivoted coin chute half away from the stationary half for opening up the coin chute and freeing the coins therein and permitting them to drop into the coin return receptacle.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a newspaper vending machine with a compartment for receiving the coin control mechanism, this compartment being closed by a key-locked door. The newspaper receiving receptacle has a door which carries a portion that covers the lock on the key-locked door when the newspaper door is closed. This prevents the lock from being tampered `with so -long as the newspaper door is closed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a newspaper vending machine `with my invention forming a part thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the newspaper vending machine when looking from the right hand side of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates a side elevation of the coin controlled mechanism associated with the newspaper vending machine.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the penny rejecting chute that interconnects the coin receiving slot with the main coin chute.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the coin controlled mechanism and is taken substantially along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the coin chute shown in FIGURE 3 and illustrates the door latch in normal position and partly in section. The dot-dash line position of the door latch in this gure illustrates how it engages with a catch and prevents the opening of the door Iwhen no coin or the wrong coin is deposited in the coin chute.

FIGURE 7 is similar to FIGURE 6, but illustrates by the dot-dash line how the correct coin in the chute will cam the end of the door latch downwardly to clear the catch and thus permit the door to be manually opened.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, but shows how the swingable half of the two part coin chute is swung to the left when the door-opening knob is pushed inwardly to free the coin or coins in the chute.

FIGURE 9 is a horizontal section through the coin chute and is taken along the line 9-9 of FIGURE 5. The swinging half of the chute is in closed position and the conical inner end of the knob shank is shown by dotdash lines ready to swing this half to the left when the knob is pushed inwardly.

FIGURE 10 is similar to FIGURE 9 and is a section taken along the line 10-10i of FIGURE 8. In this view the shank of the knob, shown by the dot-dash lines, has been p ushed inwardly and the conical end has moved the lower part of the swingable half coin chute to the left to increase the width of the chute and free any coins therein.

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating different combinations of coins arranged vertically and consisting of coins of the same denomination or coins f different denominations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In carrying out my invention I provide a newspaper vending machine that has a newspaper receiving casing A which is normally closed by a front door B, that is hinged at its lower edge to the casing at 1, see FIGURES 1 and 2. The door B covers the greater portion of the front of the casing and it carries an extension B1 that projects over a portion of a second door C which in turn covers a coin-controlled mechanism which will be described hereinafter. The door C has a vertical hinge 2 that extends along its right hand edge. A key-actuated lock 3 normally maintains the door C in closed position and the extension B1 of the door B, overlies the lock 3 when the newspaper door is closed and the extension prevents any tampering with the lock.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and shows the door C with a flanged portion 4 that receives the extension B1 when the door is closed. FIGURE 1 shows the ange 4 following the contour of the extension. The extension B1 is provided with a door-opening knob D. The knob has a cylindrical shank with an inner conical end, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. A coil spring 5 is mounted on the cylindrical shank and bears against a ring that frictionally grips the shank. The spring 5 urges the shank and knob D to the right in FIGURE 3.

The door extension B1 also carries a bracket 6 on its inner surface and a door latch E is pivotally mounted on the bracket at 7, see FIGURE 3. A torsion spring 8 is mounted on the pivot pin 7 and yieldingly urges the door latch E in a clockwise direction about the pin. The door latch E projects through an opening 9 in the coin chute compartment door C when both doors B and C are closed. Also the inner conical end 10 of the plunger handle D extends through another opening 11 in the door C when both doors are closed.

Before describing the particular shape of the door latch E, it is best rst to describe the structure of the coinreceiving chute. FIGURE 3 shows a side elevation of the coin chute while FIGURE 5 shows a front elevation. The coin chute comprises a frame having two vertically extending and spaced apart members F and F1 that have vertical guide slots 12 and 13, therein, respectively. FIG- URE 3 illustrates how the upper and lower ends of the frame member F1 are bent rearwardly at 14 and 15 and then the end.14 has an upwardly bent portion 16 and the end has a downwardly bent portion 17. The frame member F, in FIGURE 5 has its upper and lower ends bent in the same manner and then the tops of the frame members are interconnected by a cross member 18 and the bottoms are connected by a lower cross member 19. It is obvious that the frame could be formed from a single stamping with the portions bent as indicated.

FIGURE 3 shows the frame F-Fl mounted on a panel 20 and FIGURE 2. shows this panel as being disposed in the newspaper receiving casing A. The panel 20 has forwardly extending side walls to form a compartment that receives the frame F-Fl and is closed by the door C. Bolts 21, or other suitable securing means, are used for mounting the frame F-Fl on the panel. The frame member F has forwardly-extending members 22 at its upper and lower ends, see FIGURES 5 and 9, and these support the stationary half G of a vertically extending coin chute. FIGURE 9 shows this coin chute half as being channel-shaped in cross section. Also FIGURE 5 shows that the front flange 23 of the channel does not extend to the top of the coin chute, but terminates a sufficient distance below the top to permit the right hand side of the coin chute to form one side of a coin receiving opening 24.

The swingable half G1 of the vertical coin chute is also channel-shaped and the side flanges 25 thereof are received within the flange sides of the channel-shaped half coin chute G when the half G1 is in normal position. The swingable half is die cast of zinc. The upper end of the swingable coin chute half G1 is pivotally mounted on a pin 26 and the latter is carried by a bracket 27 which in turn is supported by a forwardly extending upper portion 28 of the frame member F1, see FIGURE 5. A permanent magnet bar 29 is mounted at the lower end of the swingable coin chute half G1, see FIGURES 5 and 9, and this bar has its ends contacting the steel metal flanges of the stationary coin chute half G when the swingable half is in normal closed position. It will require a predetermined force to break the magnetic attraction between the bar magnet 29 and the stationary coin chute half G, and this force when overcome by the opening swinging movement of the pivoted half coin chute G1 will be sufficient to open the coin chute wide enough to free any coins therein. This will be described more in detail when setting forth the operation of the device. A return chute spring 30 is mounted on the underside of the lower portion 15 of the frame member F1, see FIGURE 5, and this spring is compressed and acts as a bumper when the lower end of the pivoted coin chute half G1 is swung to the left, see FIGURE 8, by the conical inner end of the shank for the knob D in a manner hereinafter described. The compressed spring 30 will start the swinging of the pivoted coin chute half G1, back to its normally closed position as soon as the operator releases the handle D that he has depressed. The bar magnet 29 will then hold the pivoted coin chute half G1 in closed position.

At the top of the pivoted coin chute half G1, I provide a forwardly projecting portion 31, Asee FIGURE 3, that cooperates to complete the coin-receiving opening or branch feeding coin chute 24. Note from this ligure that the branch coin chute 24 aligns with a coin-receiving opening 32 provided in the door C. FIGURE 1 shows the coin slot 32 and it is dimensioned to only receive dimes. The branch coin chute 31 has its lower flange 33, inclined downwardly at an angle for causing coins inserted into the slot 32 and received in the coin branch 31 to roll down into the vertical portion of the coin chute by gravity.

When the coin chute frame F-Fl is mounted in place, the lower end of the vertical coin chute will be positioned directly above the door latch E, see FIGURES 3 and 5. The latch has a portion of its length formed into an inverted V in cross section so that one downwardly inclined side 34, see FIGURES 5 and 6, will be disposed directly under the coin chute and will support the lower edge of the lowermost coin H, in the chute. The part of the latch E that extends beyond the downwardly inclined portion 34 is bent to form an upwardly inclined and transversely extending cam portion 35. This cam portion has a longitudinally extending slot 36 therein that receives a stationary door catch 37 when the knob D is pulled outwardly for swinging the door B toward open position. The catch 37 prevents further opening movement of the door and the door will be held in closed position until the proper coin or coins are fed into the chute, see FIGURE 6. In this figure no coin has been fed into the chute and the slot 36 in the door latch E will receive the door catch 37 when the latch is moved to the right. The left hand edge of the catch will strike the end of the slot 36 and prevent any further movement of the latch E to the right. The door B will be held closed.

The coin mechanism can receive nickle and quarter coins as well as ten cent coins. FIGURE l shows an inclined slot 38 in the door C, and this slot registers with an inclined coin-receiving branch chute 39, see FIGURE 5. The forwardly projecting branch coin chute 31 has an opening 40 in its left hand wall that will receive the nickle or quarter that has been deposited in the inclined coin chute branch 39. The angle of the incline of the branch chute 39 is suiiicient to permit gravity to propel the coin from the exit end of the branch chute, see FIG- URE 4, through the opening 40 and into the main vertical coin chute, see FIGURE 5. If a penny should be inserted into the coin slot 38 in FIGURE 1 and be received in the inclined branch coin chute 39, see FIGURE 4, the penny will drop out through an opening 41 provided in the underside of the inclined coin chute branch. Then FIGURE 5 shows the penny striking an inclined guide 42 which will propel it away from the coin mechanism where the coin will be free to drop by gravity. The compartment that houses the coin mechanism has an inclined guide 43, see FIGURE 5, that will propel the penny into the coin return receptacle 44, see also FIGURE l.

I will now describe the mechanism for causing the correct coin or combination of coins to free the latch E from the catch 37 as the door B, is opened and permits the door to be fully opened so that the operator can remove one of the newspapers from the casing A. FIGURE y5 shows the guide slot 12 in the side frame F, receiving a plurality of swingable pawls I and K and also shows the guide slot 13 in the side frame F1, receiving additional swingable pawls L, M and N. FIGURE 3 shows the side of the swingable coin chute half G1, provided with a vertical slot 45 for receiving the coin engaging ends of the pawls L, M and N. In like manner, the stationary half G of the vertical coin chute has a vertical slot 46 for receiving the coin engaging ends of the pawls J and K.

Since all of the pawls J to N inclusive are identical to each other, a description of the pawl L, will suiiice for all. The pawl L is swingably mounted on a bolt 47 that in turn can be adjusted along the vertical slot 13 in the frame member F1, and be secured in adjusted position, see FIGURE 3. The pawl L has a coin engaging end 48, see FIGURE 5, and the position of the pawl has been set to Contact with the top of a dirne, shown at H, in the iigure when the dime has been received in the coin chute and its lower edge contacts with the laterally and downwardly inclined portion 34 of the latch E for the newspaper door B. The pawl L has its opposite end 49, weighted so as to tend to swing the pawl in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 47. The coin engaging end 48 of the pawl L has lateral projections 50, see FIGURE 3, that will engage with the sides of the swingable coin chute half G1 and prevent the counterclockwise swinging of the pawl L when any force tries to raise the coin H in the coin chute. The coin H will therefore be held in the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 7 where the coin H is in position, the opening movement of the door B to the right will move the door latch E to the right and the coin H will have its lower edge contact with the upwardly inclined surface 35 of the latch and swing the latch downwardly about its pivot 7 into the dash double dot line position. This swinging movement will free the slot 36 in the latch from the left hand edge of the catch 37 whereupon the operator can continue to pull upon the knob D to fully open the door B, and then remove a newspaper from the casing A.

The pawl I is positioned at a higher point then the pawl L and comes into operation when two nickles, rather than one dirne, are fed into the coin chute. For the Sunday newspaper costing thirty-five cents, the coin chute could receive a quarter and a dirne and this would activate the pawl M. The lower two pawls L and J would have been made inactive by a means, not shown, that forms no part of my present invention. A quarter and two nickles would make the pawl K active and a nickle and three dimes would make the pawl N active. It is obvious that the pawls can be adjusted to become active for other combinations of coins.

The diagrammatic showing of FIGURE 11, shows two combinations of coins that the coin mechanism will accept and permit the newspaper door B, to be opened. The base line 51 represents the point where the lowermost coin in the combination of coins comes to rest on the laterally inclined portion 34 of the door latch E. The two vertically arranged nickles will extend to the top parallel line 52 in the ligure. As already stated the pawl I becomes active when two nickles are fed into the vertical coin chute. Also a quarter and a dirne will reach to the neXt highest parallel line 53 and the pawl M would become active. If the inclined coin branch chute 39 did not have a penny rejecting opening 41, it will be seen from FIGURE 1l that a nickle and penny combination would come so close to the quarter and dirne combinations (see how close the parallel line 54 for the nickle and penny combination comes to the next parallel line 53 representing the quarter and dirne combination) that unless the pawl M were accurately positioned on the frame F1, it would also become active for a nickle and penny combination and a thirty-live cent newspaper would be sold for siX cents, the equivalent of the nickle and penny combination. With the penny rejection slot 41, this combination of coins comprising a nickle and a penny could never be achieved.

OPERATION From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. I have already described how dimes can be inserted into the coin slot 32 in the door C and how quarters and nickles can be `inserted into the inclined coin slot 38. All of the coins will be delivered to the main coin chute. Pennies, if inserted into the inclined coin chute 38, will be rejected and will drop through the opening 41 in the inclined coin chute branch 39 and will be delivered to the coin return receptacle 44. If the right combination of coins are fed into the coin chute, the operator can pull outwardly on the knob D to open the door B, and this will remove the door latch E from its position below the coin chute and permit the coins to drop from the chute into a coin guide 55, see FIGURE 5, which in turn will permit the-rn to drop into a coin-receiving receptacle 56, see FIGUIRES 1 and 2. The free end of the door latch E has a depending linger or lug 56 that will enter the top of the coin guide 55 to clear it of any foreign matter 'each time the latch is moved by the opening of the door.

In case the wrong coin or combination of coins have been fed into the vertical slot, the operator can free these by pushing inwardly on the door knob D. FIGURES 8, 9 and l() show the swingable half G1 of the coin chute provided with a bracket 57 that carries a vertically extending roller 58. When the door knob D, is pushed inwardly, the inner conical end 1()- of the shank will engage with the roller 58 and move it to the left in FIGURES 8 and l0, for swinging the half coin chute G1 into coin releasing position. The coins will strike the laterally inclined portion 34 of the door latch E, and be deilected to the left in FIGURE 8 where they will strike an inclined lip 59 on the top of the coin guide S5. The inclined lip will guide the released coin or coins into the coin return receptacle 44 where they may be removed by the operator.

I have already explained how the magnetic attraction of the magnet 29 has to be overcome by the inward movement of the conical end of the door knob D before the swingable coin chute half G1 will open. Then the opening is suflicient to free all of the coins in the chute and prevent jamming of any coins in the chute. When the plunger D is freed, the spring 30 will return the swingable coin chute half to closed position where the magnet 29 will again take over to hold this coin chute half D1, closed.

I claim:

1. The combination with a door for a vending machine receptacle;

(a) a door-opening knob having a plunger slidably carried by the door;

(b) a latch pivotally carried by the door and having a coin supporting and dellecting surface;

(c) a two-part vertical coin chute positioned so that the lower end of the chute is disposed above the coin supporting and dellecting surface of said latch in order that a lowermost coin in the chute will be supported by said surface;

(d) one part of said chute being stationary and the other part being swingably supported at its top so that when in closed position it will cooperate with the stationary part to form a coin guiding chute;

(e) means for yieldingly holding said swingable coin chute part in closed position; and

(f) cooperating means on said knob plunger and on said swingable part for swinging said swingable part away from the stationary part for opening the coin chute and freeing any coins therein when said knob is depressed for moving its plunger inwardly;

(g) whereby the freed coins will drop by gravity and will be deflected by the deflecting surface of said latch. l 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) said means for yieldingly holding said swingable coin chute part in closed position includes a magnet on the swingable part contacting an adjacent magnetizable portion on said stationary part, whereby the magnetic attraction between the two will normally hold said swingable part closed;

(b) a roller carried by said swingable part; and

(c) the plunger for said knob having an inner conical end that will strike said roller when said knob is depressed for moving the roller and swingable part for opening the two part coin chute and freeing any coins therein; the swinging of the swingable part breaking the magnetic attraction between said magnet and said magnetizable portion.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2: and in which (a) a bumper spring7 lies in the path of the swingable coin chute part and is compressed when the latter is swung into coin-freeing position;

(b) whereby said compressed spring will start the initial swing of the swingable part toward closed position when said knob is no longer manually depressed, said magnet holding said swingable part in closed position at the completion of the swing.

`4. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) coin engaging pawls are arranged in predetermined positions along said coin chute;

(b) said coin chute having vertical slots for permitting r the coin-engaging ends of said pawls to enter the chute and engage with the top edge of the uppermost coin in the chute if the right coin or combination of coins has been inserted in the chute, for preventing any lifting of the coins in the chute;

(c) said latch having a cam surface with a slot therein;

(d) said coin chute having a stationary catch lying in the path of the latch when the latter is initially moved by the pulling on the knob to open the door, the catch entering the latch slot and preventing the door from opening when no coin or the wrong combination of coins are in the chute; the lower edge of the correct coin or combination of coins in the coin chute engaging with the cam surface on said latch and the coin engaging pawl preventing the cam surface from raising the coins in the chute when the latch is moved by the initial opening movement of the door;

(e) whereby the latch will be swung downwardly to free said catch from the latch slot and permit the full opening of the door by the pulling on said knob.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4: and in which (a) a coin guide positioned below the latch and in alignment with the coin chute; said door when swung into open position removing said latch from lying between the coin chute and coin guide and permitting the coins in the coin chute to drop directly into the coin guide.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) a coin return receptacle is positioned below the coin deflecting surface of said latch to receive coins therefrom when the latter are freed from the opened coin chute.

'7. The combination as set forth in claim 5: and in which (a) said latch having a depending lug aligned with the open top of said coin guide; said lug being moved across the top of the coin guide as the door is opened for removing any foreign matter therein.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which (a) the vending machine receptacle has a compartment for housing the coin chute;

(b) an auxiliary door for closing the compartment and having a dime-receiving slot therein that registers with the coin chute for delivering dimes thereto; and

(c) an angularly-inclined branch chute communicating with the coin chute; said auxiliary door having a second slot for receiving nickles and quarters and registering with the branch chute for delivering these coins thereto; said branch chute having a penney rejecting opening on its underside for preventing the branch chute from delivering penneys to the coin chute.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,393,589 10/1921 Tuttle.

1,629,211 5/1927 Giambra 194-65 2,364,939 12/1944 Benjamin 194-55 2,587,306 2/1952 Forsthoefel et al.

3,253,690 5/1966 Brewton et al. 194-54 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner 

